I wanted to discuss the different ways you could decide a tie-breaker and the merits and flaws of each. The main ones as I understand them are:

Points Remaining in That Game (Score) - Total points destroyed in that game plus half-points for any large ships that are damaged by more than half of their combined shields and hull value

Match Record Going into that game (Record) - i.e. If it's a tie and someone has a 3-0 and the other has a 2-1, the 3-0 wins

Strength of Schedule (SoS) - Proxy for how difficult or not your opponents have been in that tournament

Margin of Victory (MOV) - Proxy for how much you've won your games by in that tournament

Initiative - Give to player with lowest squad total or randomly if matching squad totals

Seeding - For the single elimination rounds only

Random - Flip of a coin. Roll of a dice. Etc.

Sudden Death - All ships drop to one hp, no regeneration

Time Taken - Person who has moved quicker in the game wins

If you were deciding how a tie-breaker should be decided what would you do? Keep in mind that you probably need multiple steps in case your first method of deciding is equal (i.e. both players have the same Score).

As for the ways to break a tie I've listed above, if I've missed any, let me know and I'll add them. It would be good to understand the merits/flaws of each in relation to how fair they are. For example, do certain methods favor certain squad types over others? Are certain methods unfair to a new player with the same skill as a veteran?

I would not want a game decided by the results of previous games. I'm playing against my opponent and not his previous opponents.

Institute a sudden death, all ships drop to one hp, no regeneration.

I would not want a game decided by the results of previous games. I'm playing against my opponent and not his previous opponents.

Institute a sudden death, all ships drop to one hp, no regeneration.

Would be nice, but what if someone kept running around? Maybe limit the types of maneuvers as well or something? At some point it becomes close to just flipping a coin right?

Well, flipping a coin is apparently how they decide ties in certain presidential primaries in the US...

Though it's not nearly random enough for my tastes. You'd be better off rolling 5 attack dice and whoever scores more hits wins (crits serving as a tie breaker there).

Initiative. It adds another choice. Games are about choices.

Pistols at dawn!

Hot-dog eating contest.

Dance off.

Initiative. It adds another choice. Games are about choices.

I get what you are saying, but it doesn't quite work that way when both players have the same squadron points. Are you happy for it to come down to the initiative roll for this situation?

Player without initiative chooses a ship remaining in play. Player with initiative does the same and whether they will attack or defend. Each ship gets one action in activation order. Then you run a single round of combat between the two ships, with the ships considered to be at Range 2 and unobstructed. Any uncancelled hits break the tie in favor of the attacker; otherwise, the defender wins.

Basically, it's a hockey shootout.

Player without initiative chooses a ship remaining in play. Player with initiative does the same and whether they will attack or defend. Each ship gets one action in activation order. Then you run a single round of combat between the two ships, with the ships considered to be at Range 2 and unobstructed. Any uncancelled hits break the tie in favor of the attacker; otherwise, the defender wins.

Basically, it's a hockey shootout.

Sounds interesting. I think I'd take away the action though. Going to get a bit weird when you talk about boost, barrel rolls, etc. and then talk about Range 2 and unobstructed. So.. maybe more like:

Player with initiative chooses whether they want to attack or defend. Then each player secretly chooses a ship they want to be in the shootout. This is done by putting a white maneuver on the dial of the ship that is in and red on your other ships. Then placing the dials next to all your ships. When both players are ready, reveal who the two ships competing will be.

The attacker gets one attack using Range 2 and unobstructed conditions. If he does any damage to the defender, he wins. Otherwise, the defender wins.

Sounds pretty cool to me.

Player with initiative scores a modified win.

Unless no ships were destroyed at all. Then both players suffer a loss.

If it is a draw at the end of the round I would recommend

1. instituting the half hit points gone equals half a kill for MOV on small ships like we have on large ships and then award a modified win with 1 MOV to the winner.

2. If still tied, highest % of hit points remaining on living ships wins.

3. If still tied the player with initiative wins.

If it is a draw at the end of the round I would recommend

1. instituting the half hit points gone equals half a kill for MOV on small ships like we have on large ships and then award a modified win with 1 MOV to the winner.

2. If still tied, highest % of hit points remaining on living ships wins.

3. If still tied the player with initiative wins.

I'd actually insert a step before 1 - whichever player was flying with less points should get the win, first. Ostensibly, they were flying at a disadvantage the entire match.

This,

Is an alternative TIE-breaker.

Initiative. It adds another choice. Games are about choices.

I get what you are saying, but it doesn't quite work that way when both players have the same squadron points. Are you happy for it to come down to the initiative roll for this situation?

But even on a roll the player who wins gets to decide who gets initiative. This is another factor to consider.

Player without initiative chooses a ship remaining in play. Player with initiative does the same and whether they will attack or defend. Each ship gets one action in activation order. Then you run a single round of combat between the two ships, with the ships considered to be at Range 2 and unobstructed. Any uncancelled hits break the tie in favor of the attacker; otherwise, the defender wins.

Basically, it's a hockey shootout.

Sounds interesting. I think I'd take away the action though. Going to get a bit weird when you talk about boost, barrel rolls, etc. and then talk about Range 2 and unobstructed. So.. maybe more like:

Player with initiative chooses whether they want to attack or defend. Then each player secretly chooses a ship they want to be in the shootout. This is done by putting a white maneuver on the dial of the ship that is in and red on your other ships. Then placing the dials next to all your ships. When both players are ready, reveal who the two ships competing will be.

The attacker gets one attack using Range 2 and unobstructed conditions. If he does any damage to the defender, he wins. Otherwise, the defender wins.

Sounds pretty cool to me.

Good luck choosing a ship other than you decimator, then... ;-)

Doing it by initiative is simple, and places control in the player's hands. Initiative bids are already and established concept in the game, this gives you one more reason to consider taking one.

I see some concern in this thread about games decided by random initiative rolls. I'm not too concerned. Draws are already rare, and the player without the initiative will have extra incentive to not draw the game, since that's equivalent to a loss for them. A rebel regen mirror match will play very different if one of the players knows that he can't simply draw the game, that he actually has to play to win.

Dance off.

I second the motion.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UdbajvVROjc

Basically, it's a hockey shootout.

So a terrible way to decide a game then?

Age of player. Lol give us old fats a break!!

Age of player. Lol give us old farts a break!! hmm have no idea why it double posted?? lol must be because i am old and hit the button twice...

Least offensive smell? Maybe too subjective even for a TO... and X-Wing doesn't typically suffer from that affliction.

Best costume/SW shirt? Hold the costume contest at the start of the day and everyone is entered. Your # rank in that contest is now your initiative value. Ties determined by quality of dramatic reads of Jar Jar dialogue. Everyone you play against with a higher value than you gets initiative.

Dice stacking? Tallest tower before toppling wins initiative. Practicing would improve manual dexterity which should reduce bumping during gameplay.

If it is a draw at the end of the round I would recommend

1. instituting the half hit points gone equals half a kill for MOV on small ships like we have on large ships and then award a modified win with 1 MOV to the winner.

2. If still tied, highest % of hit points remaining on living ships wins.

3. If still tied the player with initiative wins.

I'd actually insert a step before 1 - whichever player was flying with less points should get the win, first. Ostensibly, they were flying at a disadvantage the entire match.

But they accepted that disadvantage to get the advantage of choosing whether or not to take initiative. Someone that chooses to pass on initiative so that his aces can dodge arcs better shouldn't also get the advantage of having it also break ties.

That gives a large incentive to bid low to choose to give up initiative and once it looks like you are ahead or tieing avoiding combat by moving last.

It could be settled by arm wrestling.